Sweet and Tangy Chicken

This is a 4 ingredient dish that will become one of your go-to dishes. You can make ahead first thing in the morning up to the point of baking, place in the refrigerator, then just pop in the oven for a little over an hour, add a side and a tossed green salad. Dinner is served!

8 chicken thighs – You can use a whole chicken or other parts. We love thighs the best. And we want them on the bone with the skin.

1 package dry french onion soup mix

1 (8 oz bottle) Russian dressing (I prefer Wishbone Russian dressing)

1 small jar of apricot preserves or about a cupful.

Mix all ingredients, except chicken, in a bowl.

Place chicken pieces in a baking pan. Sprinkle with pepper. No extra salt is needed.

Pour sauce over chicken and make sure it’s coated well.

Roast uncovered at 400 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes until chicken is done. Baste several times during cooking. This is the way the chicken will look when done.

Serve it up and act like you are worn slap out from working so hard. Take all the compliments gracefully. You deserve it.

This is a 4 ingredient dish that will become one of your go-to dishes. You can make ahead first thing in the morning up to the point of baking, place in the refrigerator, then just pop in the oven for a little over an hour, add a side and a tossed green salad. Dinner is served!

8 chicken thighs - You can use a whole chicken or other parts. We love thighs the best. And we want them on the bone with the skin.

1 package dry french onion soup mix

1 (8 oz bottle) Russian dressing (I prefer Wishbone Russian dressing)

1 small jar of apricot preserves or about a cupful.

Instructions

Mix all ingredients, except chicken, in a bowl.

Place chicken pieces in a baking pan. Sprinkle with pepper. No extra salt is needed.

Pour sauce over chicken and make sure it’s coated well.

Roast uncovered at 400 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes until chicken is done. Baste several times during cooking. This is the way the chicken will look when done.

I picked up the ingredients to make this recipe – I picked up Ken’s Russian dressing, which is more like Thousand Island dressing. I think I should have used a Wishbone style Russian dressing. I went ahead and made the chicken and it tasted pretty good, but I think it would have been better if I used the correct style of Russian dressing.

I’m going to try the recipe again sometime with Wishbone Russian dressing. I thought to myself while I was shopping that Russian dressing is red; but I only saw the one brand on the shelf, so that’s what I bought. The store was busy and I was in a rush to get home. Now I know. I’ll keep my eyes open for Wishbone brand. Thanks!

I’ve made this for years, and my family loves it. We call it “Russian Chicken,” ha. I like that there are lots of ways to change it up, too. Instead of apricot preserves, you can substitute the canned cranberry sauce. You can place sliced bell pepper rings or pineapple rings on top while it bakes. You can add a little soy sauce to the sauce for a more Chinese twist. One thing we never change though, is we always serve it over rice. I could eat rice with just the sauce!

The cranberry version has long been a family favorite. We serve it over wide egg noodles. (Yes, the sauce is great even after the chicken is gone!) My mom’s recipe from the early 80s called for Richelieu Western Dressing. When I couldn’t find it anymore, I started using Wishbone’s Western. I just did a search to make sure I correctly recalled the original brand and found out that it was sold to Unilever and eventually was re-branded as as Wishbone Western Dressing!

You can certainly use boneless skinless chicken. However, the skin keeps it from drying out and burning so I would suggest that you baste it frequently while cooking. If you use breasts instead of thighs, the cooking time would be less. Enjoy!

Oh yum … found this on Pinterest, as well. Was wondering what changes I would need to make in order to prepare it in a crock pot! Thanks so much! Love your site here … I love simple, and I’m your newest ‘fan’!!

Hi Deborah,
I’m so glad you found us tucked away in our little corner of the world!

You’ll wind up with a lot more water in the sauce when it’s cooked in the crockpot. You could remove the chicken when done, pour the sauce into a saucepan and reduce it down and then pour the sauce back over the chicken. Or, if you’re going to be at home, remove the lid to the crockpot during the last hour of so of the cook time or until the sauce has thickened up. The third option would be to reduce the amount of salad dressing but that would affect the flavor.

I make a shredded BBQ chicken in the crockpot and that sauce thins out. You could try what I do to thicken it as we’ll…for 24 oz of chicken I mix 2 Tbsp chicken broth and 2 Tbsp of corn starch in a small bowl, remove the chicken from your crockpot, pour your mixture in and leave set/stir for about 5 min then return the chicken and cook a bit longer. I also plan on trying this in a crockpot, can’t wait!

I haven’t tried this recipe in the crockpot. Some adjustments would need to be made. You’ll wind up with a lot more water in the sauce when it’s cooked in the crockpot. You could remove the chicken when done, pour the sauce into a saucepan and reduce it down and then pour the sauce back over the chicken. Or, if you’re going to be at home, remove the lid to the crockpot during the last hour of so of the cook time or until the sauce has thickened up. The third option would be to reduce the amount of salad dressing but that would affect the flavor.

The thigh is the largest piece of chicken requiring the longest cook time. Eight thighs cooked together seem to take longer than doing one or two. Basting the thighs frequently will keep them from drying out. Also, the higher temp keeps the sauce from becoming too watery during the cooking process.

If your oven cooks faster than most, I would recommend decreasing the temp to 350. The thighs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165.

Please let me know if you decide to use this recipe, Mary. I would love to know how it turned out for you. This is a very popular recipe on my blog. Many people have made this dish and have left positive comments. I hope it works out for you. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Jackie,
Oh my goodness, you were so right on this!! I made it last night for dinner and it was PERFECT! I baked the chicken at 400 degrees for 1 hour and 5 mins. Perfectly cooked, very moist and pretty to look at.
It was super easy to put together and clean up was a breeze! The best part was, my husband had a second helping and he really wouldn’t mind if I NEVER made chicken!!
This is definitely a keeper.
Thanks!
Mary

YEA!!!!!! I was hoping you would give this recipe a try. I’m thrilled beyond description to know that your concerns were allayed and the recipe was part of a great family dinner. Thanks so much for the feedback!

I have made these multiple times. I use Smuckers sugarfree apricot preserves. Make sure
you bake them in a foil lined pan to make cleanup easier. Also, added1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes.
This does not make this hot just a little zip.

Hi Jackie
I found this recipe on Pinterest and oh MY, it looks delicious. I have everything needed to try it, except I have Liptons dry, regular onion soup mix. Is this different than what you are using? I’m not familiar with dry french onion soup mix. Just wanted to make sure before I make this. So glad I found your site!!

Hi Jackie
Oh my, fixed this for dinner tonight. It’s to die for, delicious. Whole family just raved. And so VERY easy. From the fridge into the oven in less than 5 min! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It’s a keeper!!

This is the kind of recipe that really grabs folks’ attention. It’s quick and easy to put together, uses easy to find ingredients and tastes good. Thanks for letting Syrup and Biscuits be part of your family dinner.

I cooked this for dinner tonight and it was super delicious! Hubby said they were the best chicken thighs he has ever eaten. And it was SO easy!! I love it and will definitely be making this one again! I want to use the sauce for grilling! Yummy!

I’ve never tried freezing it with the sauce before it’s cooked. However, I can’t see any reason it wouldn’t work out if you thawed it overnight in the refrigerator before cooking. If you do try it, please let me know how it works out.

I froze this recipe with the sauce for a few weeks. I also made it with boneless skinless chicken breasts that we got on sale (it was buy 1 pound, get 2 pounds free….can’t beat that!). I put the chicken in the fridge for a couple of days to defrost. Anyway, since I was making another Pinterest receipe to go along with this dish, I ended up cooking in the chicken at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutues and there was a lot of sauce left over. The chicken came out perfectly and we really loved the sauce. Thanks for a great recipe!

You could certainly prepare this in the crockpot. I haven’t done that so I cant tell you about any modifications you would need to make. The sauce gets a little liquid-y so you might need to remove the chicken after it’s done, pour the sauce in a sauce pan and cook on the stove until it reduces some. Or, remove the lid to the crockpot during the last hour or so of cook time. You can substitute any marmalade or jam that you like in equal quantities. I’ve used peach before. Orange marmalade is very popular, too.

Hi Jackie,
I made it in the crock pot today. It turned out delicious! I followed your recipe but used Orange Marmalade. I used a 5quart pot and used 10 thighs (some were very small). I cooked it on high for 4.5 hours. The skin on the exposed thighs browned nicely but it wasn’t crispy; my kids inhaled it nonetheless. The sauce was very thin and had a lot of fat because of the skin but I skimmed it off the top. Then I took out about two cups of sauce and reduced it on the stove (took only a few minutes). I served it over Texas grown basmati rice. Next time, I might cook it on the grill over indirect heat. With 100+ degree Texas heat the oven is not an option. Thanks for a great recipe.

It certainly can be cooked in a slow cooker. I’ve never done it so I haven’t worked out the details. You might have to cook it with the top off for the last bit of cooking time to reduce the sauce down some, or remove the sauce to a pan and cook until it’s reduced and thick.

I found this recipe somewhere else but then never could find it again. One day I saw it on Pinterest and was so excited to be able to pin it so I could have it again. Making it tonight for my husband and me.

Just got back from the store with the ingredients. I’m doing it in the crockpot so I’m really pressed for time, but I have a big question. I couldn’t find Russian at all. Not even with the Wishbone dressings. I used my phone to look up alternatives. I found a lot of thousand island recommendations. I picked up a Ken’s Thousand Island and a Ken’s Country French with orange blossom honey. Which one should I use???

I’ve made a similar recipe with chicken breasts in the Crock Pot for years. I use 1 bottle Catalina dressing, 1 can “whole berry” cranberry sauce, and plain onion soup mix, and it turns out delicious. You don’t get the caramelizing on the top like you might get in the oven, but it’s super easy. I’m excited to try this version now!

Found this on Pinterest and I made it tonight. Awesome! I used boneless skinless chicken breasts. I cooked the chicken in my large crock pot, and I placed the sauce ingredients in my small crock pot and cooked them that way. When I got home, I drained the chicken, and then mixed in the sauce and let them simmer til I finished making the rest of dinner. My husband loved it. He usually compliments my cooking, but this time it was pretty nonstop throughout dinner on how great of a dish it was. Thanks so much for sharing!!!

I just cooked this and it was soooo delicious! My family loved it and commented we must have this again soon. I could not find Russian Dressing, i used Wishbone Thousand Island dressing and again it was simple and delicious a must try!

Wonderful! I made this in the crockpot on our recent camping trip. It was a hit and had to give the recipe to everyone. I used a mix of bone in thighs and split breast. Cooked 7 hours. I used the recipe as outlined above. There was plenty of sauce to add extra on the rice. This is definitely a keeper.

Rachel,
You might read down some of the comments. I’ve never cooked it in the crockpot so I can’t share my experience. Other readers ave and they’ve listed their cook times. I would plan for about 8 hours on high and start checking it toward the end of cooking time.

Going to make this tonight. It sounds so good. Was going to use the crock pot, but after reading about the different texture of the skin I’m going for the oven version. Mt husband is all about that crispy skin. Thanks, from here in Spring, Texas.

I sent my husband to the store for the ingredients and he returned with a creamy Ken’s Russian (it was the only Russian they had). Just looking at it I knew it wasn’t right so I checked the comments and have seen others with the same issue. I did find a recipe that was super easy to make Russian dressing instead. I had all of the ingredients on hand and once I whipped that up I knew I’d made the right choice! I’m trying the crockpot version although I’ll probably throw it under the broiler for a couple minutes at the end just to get some crispy skin and caramelization. Anyhow here’s the Russian Dressing Recipe for anyone interested…http://www.food.com/recipe/russian-salad-dressing-87710

We’ve made this for years with Catalina dressing and always serve it over rice. We call it “Crazy Chicken”. I also made it in a Dutch oven over a campfire and added 2 cups of instant rice at the start, that seems to handle the extra moisture and would probably work in the crockpot too.

found this on Pinterest., not LOOKING for anything, just looking around. BUT this caught my eye! I like chicken, the husband….not so much. I need to eat more protein, fighting cancer here, & THIS LOOKS SO GOOD! I like the ease of the recipe, since standing for long amnts of time is not an option. THANK YOU! I am excited to try this for the weekend!

I haven’t made this in the crockpot so I can’t give you specific instructions. However, if you read through some of the comments, you’ll find specifics from some readers who have. Let me know if you can’t find what you’re looking for.

Hi there,
I’m not an avid cook but have been motivated to start esp w/ the birth of my little boy 10 months ago I was super excited to come across this recipe on Pinterest. I’m wondering if the cook time would be different at all for a glass dish? I was also planning on lining it with tin foil for easier clean up. My parents are coming into town on Thursday & I’m going to make it for them, can’t wait!

Used this recipe last night! The chicken turned out wonderfully, I made it for my friends and they were impressed. I used boneless-skinless thighs and Catalina dressing and orange preserves as those were what I had on hand. It was moist and delicious! Thanks for sharing such an easy recipe!

I’m sure there are folks who have made this with chicken breasts. You can cook at the same temperature but shorten the cook time. The breasts are done when they reach an internal temp of 165 degrees. If you don’t have a cooking thermometer, cook until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork.

I’ve substituted both Catalina and French and I think the results were marvelous! I’m tickled to pieces to know that you and your daughter are using my recipes in teaching her to cook. Thank you for bringing Syrup and Biscuits into you kitchen!

I made this recipe tonight and even my picky eater husband loved it! I used boneless chicken breast instead of thighs. I just cooked them at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes and they turned out fabulous. Thanks for giving me an easy go to chicken recipe! you rock!!!!

Okay, I have this in the oven right now! It is smelling yummy. I followed the recipe adding a bit of crushed red pepper (I read in the reviews some had done this). I decided to go with the regular thighs and see how we like it. Will see how well it goes over with my hubby and youngest son (only one still at home) and I’ll post after dinner with the verdicts =)

Okay just finished dinner with the kid (hubby will be home later). The glaze is delicious! We weren’t overly impressed by the chicken thighs though. I’ll try another night with some boneless, skinless chicken. Most definitely a great glaze recipe though!! Just our opinion on the chicken (we don’t normally eat chicken with skin). Thanks so much for sharing recipe!!

I just put this in the crockpot and the sauce smelled amazing! I can’t wait to try it tonight. I think if I remove the chicken and mix a little cornstarch and sauce separately that should thicken the sauce up nicely! It looks like everyone agrees that it’s great over rice so I think I’ll give that a try! Fingers crossed that my 4 year old enjoys it as well!

Tried this with pork country style ribs. Changed the Apricot to Orange marmalade (which the family LOVED!) Since the pork is a little tougher, I lowered the baking temp to 340 degrees and cooked 5 lbs of these thick ribs for 2 hours. Absolutely wonderful.

I’m going to try this as a BBQ glazing sauce on the grill this summer.

Got this from Pinterest and made it yesterday. It was great!! Being Puerto Rican I had to seasoned a bit more so I added garlic and Adobo for seasoning. I also used different parts of chicken. Next time I’ll use chicken wings and thighs only. The breast was a bit to dry for this recipe. All in all was delicious and so easy.

I used Western dressing (the one with the mountain scene on the bottle) and it was perfect. I’m sure Catalina would work too, but it doesn’t have as much tang to it. I also used chicken breasts seasoned with pepper and garlic powder. I put 3 of them in a deep dish and poured over the sauce. Baked at 350 for about 30-35 minutes to accommodate my side dishes baking at that temp. The sauce was a bit thin, so I poured some of it in a small sauce pan and boiled it for a couple minutes to thicken up. This makes a lot of sauce, so if you aren’t going to pour some over rice, I would only make 1/2 the batch of sauce.

I made this last night for dinner and it was a big hit! I read several of the other comments and added a little soy sauce and red pepper flakes to the sauce mixture. Also, for the last ten minutes of cooking time, I added a slice of pineapple to the top of each chicken and basted it all with a little sauce. Looked really nice and it was delicious! The chicken fell off the bone and was very moist. I would make a little extra sauce on top of the stove because with all the basting of the chicken, there really wasn’t enough sauce to top the chicken with when I served it. I served it over rice and I think a little extra sauce would have been good over both. I will definitely make this again!

I made this today and although it was sweeter than I would like, it was delicious! I used Catalina dressing instead of Russian and orange marmalade instead of apricot, I also added a little crushed red pepper but couldn’t really taste it.The fried rice recipe I made with it was actually a little salty (too much soy sauce lol) so the sweetness of the glaze balanced it out really well! I added some fresh steamed broccoli to go with it too, everything together was really delicious! I think next time I will add a little Sriracha for some heat!

Big hit for dinner tonight. My kids who can be resistant to trying new things loved this chicken. I will make extra sauce on the stove next time for dipping. I used chicken legs and only bake for one hour. that was perfect. meat fell off the bone and was very moist. Will add to the keep file.

My mom used to make this very thing, but with chicken breasts and French dressing. This version had the very slightest edge over that wonderful childhood memory. I guess this will be the version my kids remember someday

I’ve made this MANY TIMES and my husband and daughter LOVE it!
Thank you so much for this awesome recipe, it’s so easy to make and it’s so TASTY!
I love to eat this with white rice and take the leftover drippings and put it on top of the rice.
YUM!

I love this delious recipe. I try to make it every couple of weeks for my family. It’s a great change from the ordinary baked chicken. I love it. You wouldn’t have a Hawaiian chicken recipe that’s similar would you?

I made this for dinner tonight. I used a Kroger brand of Russian dressing. My family and I did not like it. I am wondering if it is because I used the Kroger brand. I will try it again with the Wishbone dressing and let you know!

I followed the directions exactly and the tops of my chicken turned black and were burnt. Thankfully I was able to just peel the skin off (which would have been slimy anyways, not crispy). The flavor of the chicken was awesome and I’ll probably do it the same way again knowing I won’t have crispy skin. Chicken was nice and moist. Next time I’m trying home made orange marmalade since I’ve canned so much of it. Served with mixed veggies and a side salad.

Is it the taste of onion that you don’t like? Onion soup mix brings in the flavors of onion plus a hearty beefy flavor. Tell me what it is that you don’t like and we will try to figure out a substitute for you. Although, when the soup is mixed with the other flavors, you can’t differentiate it.

Found this on Pinterest and made it for dinner tonight using skin on/bone in chicken breasts with mashed potatoes and green beans. Delicious. Used the Russian dressing, Apricot and Onion soup mix. It was amazing. My husband worked late and came home to this at 7:30 and gave it an A+. A keeper for sure.